Nobody wants to venture into a mine after an accident, but the people who least want to be in there are those who might be already trapped inside. Rather than ask for human volunteers to go in and check things out, Sandia National Labs has developed a robotic platform that doesn't have a choice, called Gemini-Scout.
Collapsed mines offer all kinds of obstacles that threaten to suffocate, burn, crush, drown, electrocute, or otherwise impede even the toughest of robots. With this in mind, Sandia has done their best to mine-proof Gemini-Scout, which can clamber over rubble, wade through up to 18 inches of water, and not cause huge methane gas explosions thanks to sealed and spark-free electronics.
As capable as Gemini-Scout is, it doesn't come with an attached multidimensional quantum escape tunnel or anything. While the robot is theoretically capable of dragging a human behind it, its primary mission is to scout ahead to send back video and sensor readings to help an actual rescue team safely and quickly get where they need to go. In the short term, the robot can also deliver vital supplies such as food, water, medicine, air packs, radios, and Sony PSPs to any miners who may be trapped out of immediate reach.
It sort of seems like a robot with Gemini-Scout's capabilities would be good for more than just working in mines, and that may be the case, but Sandia seems to be pretty focused on optimizing Gemini-Scout for this one task. Their primary customer at this point is the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and miners can look forward to having a robot ready and willing to help them out when Gemini-Scout enters service next year.
Via [ Sandia ]
